Automatic safety-switch.



No. 777,430 PATENTED DEC. 13 1904. E. L. FENCE.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1904.

no MODEL. 2SHEETB-SHEET 1.

Ill

Witnesse 7 Inventor,

Fittornegs No. 777,430. PATENTED DEC. 13, 1904.

- E. L. FENCE.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 26, 1904.

N0 MODEL.v

2SHEET BET a.

Witnesses Inventor,

Patented December 13, 1904:.

PATENT QFFICE.

EDWARD L. FENCE, OF MEiVlPI-IIS, TENNESSEE.

AUTOMATlC SAFETY EWIITCH,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,430, dated December 13, 1904:.

Application filed March 25,1904. Serial No. 199,971. (No model.)

To all whom it nuty err/worn.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. FENCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Automatic Safety-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic safetyswitches for railways, and has for its object to produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character adapted for operation by an approaching train, whereby if the switch be left open through accident or design it will be automatically closed by the train, thus obviating liability of accidents.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combina tion of partsmore fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved switch. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 E2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the tripping-lever and attending parts. Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the means for locking the operating-bar.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the railway-rails, 2 the cross-ties, and 3 the movable switches, these parts being of the usual construction and assemblage, inasmuch as they constitute no part of my invention. The movable sections 3 are connected for uniform and simultaneous movement by a bridle-bar 4:, extending transversely of the rails, said bar, which is adapted for longitudinal movement in shifting the switches, being provided at its outer end with a reduced portion or section 5, having mounted thereon a coiled ex pansible spring 6, housed within a casing 7, bolted to a pair of the ties at one side of the track.

Cooperating with the bar 4 is an operating member or bar 8, formed, preferably, from strap metal folded into substantially U form in cross-section for the reception of the bar 4 and in turn connected by a link or section 9 with the switch-stand 10, of usual construction, the sections 8 and 9 being pivotally connected at 11. The bar 8 joins the bar 1 at a point substantially midway between the switch sections 3 and is normally locked against movement in one direction by means of a transverse pin 12, extending through the bar 4:, and in the opposite direction by means of a latch 13, preferably in the form of a bellcrank lever pivotedbetwecn the walls of the bar 8 directly beneath the bar 1- and having one of its arms, let, formed for engagement with a corresponding notch or recess 15, provided in the latter, and the other of its arms, 15, which normally depends vertically, pro vided at its lower end with a laterally-projecting pin or stud 16. From this arrangement it is apparent that under normal conditions the bridle-bar 4: will move rigidly and fixedly with the operating-bar 8 when the latter is actuated from the switch-stand, the pin 12 serving for the positive movement of the bar 1 to switch-closing position and the,

latch 13 for interlocking the bars to move the switches to open position, under which conditions the shoulder 1'7, produced between the bar 1- and its reduced portion, will act to partially compress, and thus place under tension, the spring 7, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Mounted for rotation in suitable bearings at one side of the track is a vertical shaft 1.8, carrying at its lower end a crank-arm 19, pivotally connected with a longitudinally-movable tripping bar or member 20, normally in engagement with the pin 16 of the latch 13, the shaft 18 being provided at its upper end with a cranlcarm 21, to which an operating rod or element 22 is pivotally connected. Traction upon the element 22 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 serves to rotate the shaft 18 and throiiigh the medium of link 19 move the tripping member 20 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, thereby tripping the latch 13 and releasing the bar 1, which may then be automatically operated by the previouslycompressed spring 6 for throwing the switches to closed position, it being apparent that reversed movement of the parts will again shift the switches to open position and compress the spring, as heretofore explained.

Mounted for rotation in suitable bearings at a point in advance of and sufficiently remote from the switch 3 is avertical shaft 23, havingfixed upon its upper end an operatinglever 24:, projected toward and transversely of the rails 1 and normally in position for its inner end to be struck by the end of the front corner of the engine-pilot during the approach of a train toward the switch. There is also fixed upon the shaft 23 a pair of oppositely-projecting arms 25. normally extending in a line parallel with the rails 1 and having pivoted to their outer ends respectively rods or links 26, extending loosely and for longitudinal movement through a bearing plate or support 27, beyond which there is mounted on the rods normally expanded rings 28, bearing at their forward ends upon the support 27 and at their rear ends upon adjustable nuts 29, these springs serving, through the medium of the rods 26, tomaintain the lever 24: in normal operative position.

Provided on the shaft 23 and preferably formed integral with the arms 25 is a forwardly-projecting arm 30, arranged parallel with the lever 24 and extending normally transversely of the rails 1, said arm being connected by a link 31 to one end of a bellcrank 32, centrally pivoted, as at 33. and having its other arm pivotally engaged with the terminal of the operating rod or element 22,

which is slotted at 34 for connection with the adjacent arm of the bell-crank 32, thereby permitting rearward movement of the rod 22 independently of movement of the bell-crank, while upon the rod 22 is a normally expanded spring 35, tending to exert forward movement upon the rod.

- In practice as a train approaches the switch the lever 24 through contact with the enginepilot will be thrown in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, thereby rocking the bell-crank 32 on its pivot and exerting traction upon the rod 22 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, thus releasing the bar 4: and permitting the spring 6 to throw the switches to closed position in the manner heretofore described. After the lever 24L has been passed it will be returned to normal position through the medium of springs 28; but the switches will remain closed until the train has passed and until again and positively opened. If thelever 24 be moved in the opposite direction, the bell-crank may, as heretofore explained, move independently of the rod 22, whereby the switches will be unaffected. When it is desired to have the switches remain open for sidetracking a train, the tripping bar or member 20 is positively lifted out of engagement with the pin 16 by means of a bell-crank 36, pivoted at 37 and-connected by a rod or element 38 with an operating-lever 39, it being apparent that when the lever 39 is depressed the trippingbar 20 will be lifted out of engagement with the pin 16, whereby operation of the lever 24 will fail to effect tripping of the latch 13, and

I the switches will consequently remain locked l in open position.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a simple device admirably adapted for the attainment of ends in view, it being understood that minor changes in the details herein set forth may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention,- what is claimed is- 1. In an automatic safety-switch, the combination with the switch-sections, of a bridlebar connecting the latter, means for locking the bar against movement, a spring carried by and acting on the bar, when released, to automatically shift the switches, and means for automatically releasing the bar.

2. In an automatic safety-switch, the combination with the switch-sections, of a bridlebar connecting the latter, a latching member for locking the bar against movement, a spring carried by and acting on the bar, when released, to automatically shift the switches, and means operable by an approaching train for automatically tripping the latch to release the bar.

3. In an automatic safety-switch, the combination with the switch-sections, of a bridlebar connecting the latter, means for locking the bar against movement, means for automatically shifting the switches when the bar is released, mechanism for automatically releasing the bar, and means for positively throwing and maintaining said mechanism out of action.

t. In an automatic safety-switch, the combination with the switch-sections, of a bridlebar connecting the latter, means for locking the bar against movement, means for auto matically shifting the switches when the bar is released, mechanism for automatically releasing the bar, and manually operable means for positively throwing and maintaining the tripping mechanism out of action relative to the bar.

5. In an automatic switch, the combination with the switch-sections, of a bridle-bar connecting the latter, a latching member for engaging and locking the bar against movement, means for automatically shifting the switches when the bar is released, a longitudinally-movable tripping-bar for engaging and actuating the latch, means for automatically operating the tripping-bar, and means for moving the tripping-bar to position for nonengagement with the latch.

6. In an automatic safetyswitch, the combination with the switch-sections, of a bridlebar connecting the latter, an operating member connected with the bridle-bar, means for preventing relative movement of the parts in one direction, a movable latchingdevice carried by the operating member and adapted for engagement with the bar to lock the parts against relative movement in the other direction, means for automatically tripping the latch to release the bar, and means for automatically shifting the switches upon releasal of the bar.

7. In an automatic safety-switch, the combination with the switch-sections, of a bridlebar connecting the latter, an operating member connected with the bar and adapted for independent movement relative thereto in one direction, a movable locking device carried by the member for normally locking the parts against said movement, a tripping member normally engaging and operable for actuating the latching device to release the bar, means for an tomatieally operating the tripping member, means for automatically shifting the switches upon releasal of the bar, and means for moving and maintaining the tripping member out oi? engagement with the latching device.

8. In an automatic safety-switch, the combination with the switch-sections, of a bridlebar connecting the latter, an operating member connected with the bar and adapted .ior independent movement relative thereto in one direction, a movable latching device carried by the member and adapted for engagement With the bar to lock the parts against said movement, means for automatically tripping the latch to release the bar, and means for automatically shifting the switches upon releasal of the bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

EDWVARD L. FENCE.

Witnesses:

Geo. B. FAXON, J. J. MoRnIsoN. 

